Royal Oak may End Neighborhood Street Barriers Near I-696

Royal Oak, MI — City officials are deliberating whether to end several residential street closures along a former truck route in neighborhoods off I-696’s Mohawk exit, along Royal Oak’s southern border.

In a statement, Royal Oak’s director of community development said the street closures were made in the late 1970s to create the “Irving truck route”, which was decommissioned last year. The route served industrial businesses which have since been transformed to apartments and condominiums.

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The barriers also keep traffic exiting I-696 at Mohawk from entering residential streets in the area.

The Daily Tribune reports that residents with the Lawson Homeowner’s Association want to maintain the berm barrier, but city officials disagree about whether to reopen the streets.

Mayor Jim Ellison, who lives in the area, said signs prohibiting traffic primarily penalize local residents. “The people using those streets and getting the tickets are people who live there,” Ellison said.

Image Credit: City of Royal Oak